Gelatin is a heterogeneous mixture of water-soluble proteins of high average molecular masses, present in collagen. Proteins are extracted by boiling the relevant skin, tendons, ligaments, bones, etc. in water. Type A gelatin is derived from acid-cured tissue. Type B is derived from lime-cured tissue. This is a hydrocolloid and is rich in glycine, proline and hydroxyproline, which imparts structural stability. It is synthesized from the alkaline digestion of collagen from bovine skin and is referred as type B. Gelatin has wide applications in food industry. It takes up random coil structure after digestion from the triple helical collagen. The most common source for industrial production of gelatin is slaughter byproducts. The type A gelatin and type B differ in their isoelectric pH. This product is recommended for use as a cell culture substratum at 1-5 μg/cm² or 0.5-50 μg/mL. The optimal concentration does depend on cell type as well as the application and research objective.

Gelatin solution has been used:

• for coating of cell culture plates or dishes used for embryonic stem cell culture, testicular cell culture and neural rosettes
• in coating cell culture to improve attachment of cells
• in PCR to stabilize Taq DNA
• as a blocking reagent in western blotting
• in ELISA
• in immunochemistry
• as a component of media for species differentiation in bacteriology
• to study long-chain fatty acid-induced changes in gene expression in neonatal cardiac monocytes
• to study to test mobilization of capillary endothelium in vitro induced by effectors of angiogenesis in vivo

Gelatin has gelling property and displays surface behaviour for use in foams and adhesions. It also serves as a clarification agent in fruit based juices. It is a digestible protein and serves as a binding agent, thickener, stabilizer and emulsifier in food industry. As a biocompatible polymer, it has used as a delivery vehicle for release of active biomolecules and in generation of scaffolds for tissue engineering applications.

Dry gelatin, when stored in airtight containers at room temperature, will remain unchanged for many years. When heated at 100°C in the presence of air, it swells becomes soft and disintegrates to a carbonaceous mass with evolution of pyridine bases and ammonia.

This product is derived lime-cured tissue bovine skin, and is a 2% solution in water.